Guesthouses, hotels and resorts

Soppong

Few foreign tourists make it to Soppong and it hasn't taken off with domestic tourists either, so there’s not a huge choice of accommodation in town, but there ought to be something to keep most people happy for a couple of nights. Some of the surrounding villages such as Ban Tham Lot, Mae Lana and Ban Nam Rin have their own simple accommodation options as well.

There are a couple of decent guesthouses in town that were closed during our low season visit, including Rim Doi Bungalows, Ban Cafe Nature Resort and Lisu Homestay in nearby Nong Thong.

Great riverside spot!

This well-organised and very popular little guesthouse overlooks the Lang river at the entrance to Soppong, just on the right as you arrive from Pai. Little Eden has a cute jungle-style garden with a ... Read the full review of Little Eden.

Splendid riverside spot

356 Moo 1, Soppong
T: (053) 617 107, (081) 250 8425;

Soppong River Inn is a picturesque chalet-style resort located in a pleasantly laid out garden overlooking the river. The Seven Elephants Restaurant is set up on top of the low cliff above the Lang, ... Read the full review of Soppong River Inn.

Convenient location

Lemon Hill has seen a bit of a make-over since we were last here and perhaps with the domestic market in mind has added some air-con units, fixed up some of their better chalets, slapped a coat of ... Read the full review of Lemon Hill House.

Ban Tham Lod

Ban Tham Lod is a charming and very peaceful Shan village close to the famous cave of the same name. It's only 13 kilometres from Soppong, so it's easily doable in a half day, though there is accommodation in the form of the longstanding and well known Cave Lodge on the edge of the village, plus a couple of homestays. The road is now sealed and makes for a slightly bumpy but scenic drive or cycle through mostly teak plantations with hilltribe villages close by. There is no public transport, so if you do not have your own transport you would have to organise a pick up or try to find a motorbike taxi from the 7-eleven in Soppong.

Activity centre with great budget accommodation

Tham Lod Village, Pang Mapha
T: (053) 617 203;

Established in 1984 by an Australian-Shan couple, Cave Lodge has a wide variety of accommodation options, from dormitory beds through to small bungalows with shared bathrooms plus larger ones with ... Read the full review of Cave Lodge.

Ban Nam Rin

Ban Nam Rin is a large Lisu village just off the main highway around 10 kilometres before Soppong. The village is still quite traditional and services are minimal, so you'll find petrol, a couple of basic grocery stores and noodle shops and that’s about it. The surrounding mountains are spectacular and there’s even more remote and traditional villages to be discovered, trails to hike and birds to be watched here. The village guesthouse is a good spot and the friendly and helpful owners can organise treks for you or provide information for simpler do-it-yourself hikes.

Recommended for hikers

Ban Nam Rin
T: (083) 582 4496, (083) 054 8497;

Lisu Lodge is a very pleasant little guesthouse with some fair chalets set in a well kept garden. It is quite a walk right through the village to reach the guesthouse, situated on the hill on the far ... Read the full review of Lisu Lodge.

Mae Lana

The charming and picturesque Shan village of Mae Lana lies in a deep valley a few kilometres northwest of Soppong. Head towards Mae Hong Son for 10 kilometres or so along the main highway, then look out for a turning on the right at the summit of the hill, Route 1226. From here the sealed road follows the ridge for 4 kilometres until just past the military checkpoint, where a turn off to the right leads down a steep hill to the village. Mae Lana is surrounded by some awesome scenery; plenty of great hikes are to be had to some relatively remote villages and there’s some spectacular and still little-explored cave systems in the vicinity, including the Mae Lana Cave. Some of them are highly dangerous and others are sacred sites with funerary coffins inside, so if you want to really explore the interiors hire a guide or even better, sign up for one of Cave Lodge’s trips.

The village itself is quiet, very laidback and full of friendly locals. It hosts a couple of simple cafes, some grocery stores and petrol, but no bank. There’s one simple but very pleasant guesthouse on the edge of the village.

Great base for exploring the area

Mae Lana village
T: (081) 706 5601;

This tiny little guesthouse with a very rustic feel is located just out of the village down the track past the wat that leads to Mae Lana Cave. A half a dozen or so chalets are set around a pond with ... Read the full review of Mae Lana Garden Home.